Man previously accused of murder charged in fatal Bridgeport stabbing

Cops: Stabbing occurred during quarrel over woman

A Bridgeport man accused of murder 15 years ago has been charged with fatally stabbing a man during an argument in his home earlier this week, Chicago police said.

Joseph "Joey" Lacyniak, 34, was charged with first-degree murder in the Monday morning death of John Hughes Jr., police said.

Lacyniak stabbed Hughes several times inside Lacyniak's home in the 200 block of West 31st Street at about 1:45 a.m., police said. The two were quarreling over a woman, police said.

Hughes, of the 700 block of Elizabeth Street in West Chicago, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Lacyniak was previously charged with first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm in 1997, according to court records.

The following year, the then-20-year-old received concurrent 50- and 25-year prison sentences following a jury trial before Judge Michael Toomin, court records show. But an appeals court ordered a new trial for Lacyniak in 2004.

In 2006, Lacyniak pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but was later allowed to withdraw his guilty plea, records show.

Lacyniak is expected to appear before a Criminal Courts judge this afternoon for a bond hearing.